Gas-supported airship



K. SILLER GAS SUPPORTED AIRSHIP Filed June 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [ken/0r Aug. 7, 1928. V 619,550

K. SILLER GAS SUPPORTED AIRSHIP Filed June 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Wren/0r )for/ ii/er Patented Atig. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL SILLER, FRIEDBICHSHAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO LUFTSGHIFFBAU ZEP- PELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESGHRKNKTER HAFTUN G, OF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN,

GERMANY.

GAS-SUPPORTED AIRSHIP.

/ Application filed June 26, 1926, Serial No. 118,648, and in Germany July 8, 1925.

My invention relates to airships and more especially to gas-inflated ships of this kind in which the gas is contained in separate gas cells.

The primary object of my invention is to improve the construction with regard to the arrangements for combustion of gas in the motor or motors serving for the propulsion of the ship.

For this purpose I'provide pipes, tubes or hose adapted to lead the gas from every individual gas cell to an assembling device and therefrom to a pump which will cause a certain pressure in the pipes, tubes, etc. Thus there will be little possibility of penetration of air into such lines so that danger of explosion is practically obviated, which danger would be great if the motor would suck the gas from the cells. The cross sections of the leadings may be made adjustable so as to be in conformity with the contents of every individual gas cell.

It will be advisable to provide an accumulating container connected to the leadings from the pump to the motor. This accumulator will serve for regulating the pressure under which the gas enters the motor, furthermore it will serve to store a certain amount of gas under such pressure. Besides an automatic pressure valve may be provided in the leadings before entering the motor. An operated valve will be necessary for totally turning the gas off.

The accumulator may be a gas bag and this bag may be so situated that the gas cells proper exert a certain pressure on it, for example in case the bag be disposed between two adjacent gas cells. From this accumulator a special leading may again connect to the hose assembling device. In this case however an automatic valve will be necessary allowing escape of gas only after the pressure in the bag exceeds a certain height. v

For the purpose of preventing air from being sucked into the pump the pump its self may be surrounded by gas so that the driving shaft only will stick out from such gas space. way of driving the pump will be an air propeller or air screw projecting from the ships hull andbeing driven from the air current passing by while the ship travels. Instead of fit pump bellows may be made use of as we The simplest and most secure Fig. 2 is the same but in a little different arrangement of the parts.

Fig. 3 represents a cross section. through the assembling device of the leadings.

Fig. 4 shows the leadings at the spot where they enter the motor.

The scale of Figs. 3 and 4, representing details, is much larger than that of Figs. 1

and 2.

The gas cells 1 have sleeves at their upper wall connected to leadings 2 which lead the gas to the assembling device 3. Tube 4 connects device 3 with pump 5 driven by propeller 6 and the gas will be pressed into tube 7 leading to the horizontal tube 8. This ,tube 8 has a branch 10 leading into the bag 11 and it has an automatic valve 9 and an operated valve 1 1 before entering the motor 1'5. In the accumulator 11 an automatic valve12 is provided allowing for gas escape through tube 13 to assembling device 3.

In Fig. 1 the pump 5 is mounted at the ridge of the airship. In Fig. 2 it is situated in the lower portion of the ship and it is surrounded by a gas jacket 16. Furthermore in this figure connecting tube 1} passes through bag 11 so that valve 12 may be connected directly to tube 4.

The gas flow is indicated by arrows. Figs. 3 and 4 are selfrexplanatory.

I do not Want to limit myself to the details shown or described in the drawings as many variations will occur to those skilled in the art. D

What I claim is:

1. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; agas pump; a tube connecting one of said cells with said pump; a motor; a tube connecting said pump with said motor; a gas bag; and a third tube connecting saidsecond tube with said gas bag.

2. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a gas pump; a tube connecting one of said cells with said pump; a motor; a tube connecting said pump with said motor; a gas bag; a third tube connecting said second tube with said\g as bag; an outlet from said gas bag; said outlet being also in connection with said pump and having an automatic valve adapted to control the gas escape from said gas bag.

3. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a gas pump; a tube connecting one of said cells with said pump; a motor; a tube connecting said pump with said motor; an automatic valve in said second tube; a gas bag; and a third tube connecting said second tube with said gasbag. v

4-. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a gas pump; a tube connecting one of said cells with said pump; a motor; a tube connecting said pump with said motor; an automatic valve in said second tube; a gas bag; a third tube connecting said second tube with said gas bag; an outlet from said gas bag; said outlet being also in connection with said pump and having an automatic valve adapted to control the gas escape from said gas bag.

5. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a gas pump; tubes connecting a number of said cells with said pump; a motor; a tube connecting said pump with said motor; a gas bag; and a third tube connecting said second tube With said gas bag.

6. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a motor; a gas pump; and a gas accumulator; said pump being adapted to pump gas from a number of said gas cells to said motor; said accumulator being inserted in the pressure line of said pump and being adapted to store an amount of compressed gas. a

7. An airship comprising a plurality .of gas cells; a motor; and a gas pump; said pump being adapted to be driven by an air propeller and being adapted to pump gas from a number of said gas cells to said motor.

8. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a motor; and a gas pump; said pump being surrounded by a gas acket and being adapted to pump gas from a number of said gas cells to said motor.

9. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a motor; a gas pump; said pump being surrounded by a gas jacket and being adapted to be driven by an air propeller and being adapted to pump gas from a. number of said gas cells to said motor; a gas accumulator being inserted in the pressure line of said pump and being adapted to store an amount of compressed air.

10. An airship comprising aplurality of gas cells; a motor; a gas pump; said pump being surrounded by a gas jacket and being adapted to be driven by an air propeller and being adapted to pump gas from a number of said gas cells to said motor; a gas accumulator being inserted in the pressure line of said pump and being adapted to store an amount of compressed air; and a gas overflow from said accumulator to said pump; said over-flow being controlled by an automatic valve.

11. An airship comprising a plurality of gas cells; a motor; a gas pump; said pump being surrounded by a gas jacket and being adapted to be driven by an air propeller and being adapted to pump gas from a number of said gas cells to said motor; a gas accumulator being inserted in the pressure line of said pump and being adapted to store an amount of compressed air; an automatic valve inserted in the pressure line of said pump; saidvalve being adapted to control the gas intake of said motor; and a gas over-flow from said accumulator to said pump; said over-flow being controlled by an automatic valve. 

